You and Mitch were truly blessed to have each other, and your shared memories have so much authenticity, such honesty, and the experiences are always timeless. Your gift to make people laugh and cry all in one short story always amazes me. I am so thankful to know you, and I am honored to be your daughter.

Dad, this one made me cry.

Love,

Jill

From Rontiara, 01 March 2008:

Jack: I remember reading somewhere in your other writings that you, too, had strange, inexplicable recollections of such things as your own birth and, as a tiny kid, you had visions of adult-type situations. I'm guessing you didn't tell Mitch about those because you were still sounding out the depth of your recently formed relationship. Too bad. I suspect the poor guy was homesick.

I remember an old song — don't even remember where I heard it or how the rest of it went — but the words that haunt me are, "I'm kind of homesick for a country to which I've never been before. . ." The next lines, I think, were something about heaven, so I probably heard it in church.

But I think you and Mitch both were homesick for a place you'd never been, but never quite left, either.